MTLNOVEL Chapter 145.1
Curses And Charms Are Different Things
“That’s why I’m saying you’re mistaken.”
“What do you mean I’m mistaken, you villain!”
“Like I said, I’m not a villain.”
“Villains don’t call themselves villains!”
A lively voice could be heard. Today, since it wasn’t his turn to do housework, Yuuri was out for a walk with his familiar, Rooks. He was puzzled by the argument he overheard. That’s because one of the voices, the one trying to placate the other, sounded familiar. It seemed Rooks felt the same way, as he tilted his head and let out a curious “Kyu?”
“Roo-chan, that voice just now…”
“Kyu!”
“Yeah, right?”
The voices were coming from an alley, so Yuuri quickened his pace toward it. Rooks followed, bouncing along. When Yuuri arrived at the scene of the argument, he realized his guess had been correct.
The one who was angry was a young woman. She had beautiful blonde hair and was dressed in light armor, giving off the vibe of a warrior. Her features were pretty, but now they were twisted in anger, making her look quite scary. She also seemed stubborn and a bit neurotic.
Facing her was a man dressed in rather strange attire. Strange, or perhaps eccentric. His outfit wasn’t something you’d see around the royal capital of Drahein. His pale black hair was tied back in a ponytail, which wasn’t too unusual. The problem was his clothing.
The man was wearing a flowing robe called a “kimono”. In this Western-style world, or rather, country, wearing such a distinctly Eastern outfit made him stand out like a sore thumb. To make matters worse, while his upper body was clad in a kimono, his feet were shod in short boots. And as if that weren’t enough, he was also wearing a stylish hat. The mismatched elements only added to the eccentric impression he gave off.
“Yakumo, what are you doing?”
“Oh, Yuuri. Out for a walk?”
“Yeah. It looks like you’re in some kind of trouble…?”
“Trouble? More like she’s picking a fight with me.”
“Oh my.”
“What do you mean I’m picking a fight!”
“And that’s how it’s been going for a while now.”
The young man in the kimono, Yakumo, sighed as if to say, “What a pain.” As Yuuri’s greeting suggests, Yakumo is one of the trainees at Scarlet Lynx. His eccentric clothing is due to the fact that he hails from a distant, faraway land—so far away that even he finds it tiresome to think about how far it is. He’s a traveler who happened to stop by this country and ended up joining Scarlet Lynx, making him quite the oddball.
Yakumo’s way of speaking and his clothing set him apart from the locals, and his job is a bit unconventional too. His job is that of a “cursemaster.” In his homeland, it’s a common position, something akin to a mix between an apothecary and an astrologer. To Yuuri, it feels closer to an onmyoji.
Because of this, the job of a cursemaster is quite rare in these parts. So rare, in fact, that most people have never even heard of it. And the name itself doesn’t help. The term “cursemaster” often leads to misunderstandings, and Yakumo is frequently accused of being up to no good. Like now.
Yakumo has droopy eyes, and right now, those droopy eyes were radiating an aura of extreme exasperation. Yuuri was surprised to see Yakumo genuinely troubled. Yakumo usually brushes things off easily, so seeing him this flustered was rare.
“I’ve been saying this over and over, but what I can do are charms, not curses. They might seem similar, but they’re completely different.”
“What are you talking about! You’re a cursemaster, aren’t you? That sounds shady!”
“…Yakumo, has it been like this the whole time?”
“Yeah. I thought it would be less of a nuisance if I led her into an alley, but this woman just won’t listen to me.”
“…I see.”
She seems like the type of person whose sense of justice has gone into overdrive. Yuuri and Yakumo exchanged whispers while looking at the woman, who was clearly furious. Being accused of wrongdoing because of his job as a cursemaster wasn’t new to Yakumo. Being treated as a dangerous person by those who didn’t know the full story was, in a way, par for the course. He was used to it and didn’t hold grudges, but it was still a hassle.
Incidentally, one of the reasons Yakumo joined Scarlet Lynx was to learn the local customs, but it was also because Gilmas told him, “I think it would be good for you to have a guardian who can silence those around you.” …It was a reliable refuge for troublesome situations. Scarlet Lynx, or rather, the incredibly skilled appraiser Ali, often ended up dealing with such messes. Being competent is tough.
“Well, I guess the term Curse Master just sounds ominous to people around here.”
“True. But it’s not like I chose the name myself, so it’s not my fault.”
“People around here don’t really distinguish between charms and curses, do they?”
“No. What we consider charms would probably fall under the category of blessings from the church.”
“I see. It must be tough with all the differences between regions.”
“Absolutely.”
“Are you two even listening to me!?”
“Huh?”
Yuuri and Yakumo, who had been chatting idly, turned to look at the woman, who was now shouting at them. They had been tuning out about 90% of what she was saying. After all, her argument was stuck in an infinite loop. Her entire point was that Yakumo was a “shady curse user” and therefore a dangerous person. It was the same thing over and over again.
She had a wide vocabulary and was using various expressions to vent her anger, but the content of her speech never changed. Yuuri couldn’t help but think, “Is she smart or just disappointing?” Yakumo, on the other hand, had already concluded that this woman, while good-looking, was a bit of a letdown. Both of them were being rather rude.
“Miss, I think you’re misunderstanding. What Yakumo can do is more like weather forecasting, you know?”
“Or predicting auspicious events.”
“Yeah, that’s it. He can’t cast curses or harm people. Sure, his job is called Curse Master but it’s more like a mix between an apothecary and an astrologer around here.”
“What nonsense…! If that’s the case, why call yourself a cursemaster!?”
“…I didn’t choose the name, so I can’t help it.”
“Right?”
Despite their earnest explanations, the woman refused to listen. It was frustrating. Why was she so angry? Yakumo had never cursed anyone, so they were at a loss.
What Yakumo could do was more along the lines of what they had just explained. He could read the wind to predict the weather, use feng shui and astrology to divine auspicious events. And even then, it wasn’t foolproof. It was based on knowledge and experience, not some magical power. It was more of an academic pursuit.
Aside from that, he could also brew potions for illnesses and injuries. The potions he made were different from typical healing potions or medicines prescribed by doctors. They were more like traditional herbal remedies, tailored to the individual’s constitution.
…There was no technique for cursing others. If anything, manipulating feng shui might slightly alter one’s fortune, but that was more of a psychological effect and couldn’t really be called a curse.
So, the two of them were at a loss for what to do with this woman who was so adamant about her accusations.
“I pride myself on being a harmless existence, but…”
“Yakumo really is harmless, right?”
“Yeah. While apothecaries and astrologers are valued, I’m disliked to the point where it’s hard to accept. I can fight, but that’s just a basic skill you need for self-defense when traveling.”
“Right.”
“Hey, you two, listen to me!”
The two of them had completely turned their backs on the woman and were whispering to each other. She was angry, but they didn’t know what to do about it. How could they make her understand? Yakumo’s mild-mannered nature kept things from escalating, but if she had a shorter temper, it could have easily turned into a brawl. After all, her accusations and insults were relentless.
What made it worse was that she genuinely believed she was in the right. These types were the most troublesome, Yakumo muttered. There was a deep sense of weariness in his voice. Yuuri could tell that this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. It made him realize how tough it must be to live in a foreign land.